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Sting, cast of 'The Last Ship' to perform in Oshawa, 'in solidarity' with GM workers

Sting and the cast of The Last Ship will be performing in Oshawa this week, “in solidarity” with workers at the General Motors plant, Mirvish Productions say.

The show will take place at the Tributes Communities Centre at noon on Valentine’s Day.

“This new musical tells a similar story to what is threatening to happen in Oshawa, with the potential demise of the GM plants that employ thousands of people,” Mirvish says in a release.

The Last Ship tells the story of local shipyard in Newcastle that is being shut down, but soon those who live and work in the town band together to hold on to their community. Sting stars as the leader of the grassroots movement.

“We are telling the same story of what’s going on in that community. So we want to offer our support,” Sting says in an interview with CityNews.

“We don’t have a magic wand to wave, but I think support is important.”

The Last Ship was inspired by Sting’s 1991 album The Soul Cages, a fictionalized retelling of his experiences growing up in a shipbuilding town.

The production opened at the Princess of Wales Theatre last February with Sting playing one of the characters. He also wrote the music and lyrics based on his own experiences growing up around the shipyards.

“The tremendously powerful story of The Last Ship resonates deeply as it speaks to the dignity of work, how it shapes individuals and their communities, and the heavy personal toll that is paid when workers’ livelihoods are taken from them,” Unifor national president Jerry Dias said in a release.

Correction: An earlier version of the story said the cast would be performing at the GM plant in Oshawa.